The first step in Search Engine Optimization is possibly the first thing that strikes a digital marketer or blogger. You are always stuck in this that what is the first step in search engine optimization.
SEO is one of the fastest way that can help a blogger or website rank in the first page of Google that goes for almost 90% of the traffic on any particular search term or keyword.
Many bloggers and digital marketers will agree to the fact that the entire process of optimizing a webpage mainly consists of adding keywords, informative content, title, and meta tags.
Therefore in this article, I am going to talk about the very important and first step in search engine optimization.
How to do SEO?
Search engine optimization has become a necessary tool today and one of the most important digital marketing assets, as most of the traffic generated by any website comes from organic search compared to other channels of traffic like paid ads or social media.
So, how do you do this search engine optimization, and what is the first step in SEO that puts you through the process. Let’s learn about it here.
But what is first step in search engine optimization process for website? If we talk in simple terms, then driving traffic into the website is the first step in a search engine optimization program.Â
I am not playing any trick, but yes, it is the first and foremost step in SEO. The successful implementation of SEO is all about the first step, that is, to drive traffic to your website and bring excellent results. you will learn SEO process in steps.
63% of searches are conducted on a mobile device in the U.S.
According to Forbes, Mobile devices made up 63% of organic search engine visits in the U.S., as of the fourth quarter of 2021 2.
To make sure your website is optimized for mobile search, use a responsive design, simplify your navigation, eliminate pop-ups and keep all content short and concise. Don’t forget to improve page speed as well.
On-page vs. Off-page SEO factors
| On-page SEO Factors | Off-page SEO Factors |
|---|---|
| Title Tags | Backlinks from reputable websites |
| Meta Descriptions | Social media signals (shares, likes, comments) |
| Header Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) | Brand mentions (linked or unlinked) |
| Content Quality and Relevance | Guest blogging |
| Keyword Optimization | Influencer marketing |
| URL Structure | Online directory listings |
| Internal Linking | Reviews on third-party sites |
| Image Optimization (Alt tags) | Forum participation |
| Page Load Speed | Podcasts and interviews |
| Mobile Responsiveness | Social bookmarking |
| Schema Markup | Local citations (for local SEO) |
| User Experience (UX) | Content syndication |
Take 3 small Steps in SEO
- Driving traffic to the website
- Create new audience and maintain new audience
- Generate organic leads and convert the audience into potential customers.
All of these can be achieved by search engine optimization strategies that have the following steps:-
#Step 1. Audience Assessment:
So, now you know that the first step is not just a step, but it constitutes a whole process. The first step in on-site search engine optimization is to determine the SEO Process step.
Search engines are the most important and vital gateway for generating sales leads, and in most of cases, almost 100% sales are generated with the help of search engines.
In order to drive traffic into your website, you must first assess who your audience is and identify what actions or what kind of content pursues them to take action.
You might be shocked, but this is true. You need to understand your customer and then put the right things on the plate. The evaluation needs to begin from the ground work that involves the evaluation of readers or customers and what they like and dislike.
You also need to evaluate the purchasing behaviour of your customers and engagement prospects. This is the most important thing you need to research and assess before you create your SEO strategy. this is search enging optimization techniques.
# Step 2. Website Assessment
Your website is your address or a place from where your business really begins. You need to assess how your website is and what kind of audience is coming to your website so that you can have content for all kinds of audiences and cater to all who visit your website.
Content is the key in deciding everything in a website you need to evaluate your content wisely to be a better blogger; plagiarism or any kind of unverified data or misinformation that is there in your blog or website can be flagged by Google and hence hurt your page’s ranking.
You need to closely monitor your competitor’s website, on what is being put on their websites and whether the content supplied by you matches the quality of what your competitors tend to offer.
You need to assess your top competitors and how they are ranking on the website and their traffic activity, and how well they can rank in the top searches for the articles or blog.
Assess what kind of content is most searched by your audience and how your competitors are dealing with that. Offering the relevant types of content will keep the audience intact to your website. The better the content the more traffic you get.
Assess your own website and its traffic activity and from where most of the traffic is coming to your website.
Assess the activity of audiences who visit your website and how long they stay in your website, and what actions are taken after they view the website, also assess what is the most visited content in your website.
#Step 3. Identification of Right Keywords
Keywords have been found to play the most important role in ranking your article. You need to identify the most valuable keywords for the topic you are writing and based on its relevance and popularity.
You must avoid using unpopular search keywords as it is of less value. what keywords are most searching on google.
Your audience is the most important source of survey in your business. You need to understand how they search and what they search over the internet and give a clear glimpse of what they are searching and try to solve their problem.Â
There are many ways to find the most prospect keywords, brainstorm with existing customers and analyse the websites statistical data and review the search results. You can also search keywords with use of paid tools and by analyzing your competitors’ blogs or websites.
So, these are some of the ways that one should follow as they look into the first step of search engine optimization.
You May also like: Do Content Gap Analysis Like a Pro
26% of searches resulted in no clicks
Not every search leads a user to a third-party website from an organic search result. In fact, 26% of searches resulted in zero clicks.
These zero-click searches were likely informational queries rather than commercial queries with high purchase intent. (Source: Forbes)
Users may find the information they’re looking for directly on the search results page and therefore have no reason to click through to any website.
10 SEO Plugins that Your Website NEED!
If you ready to launch your website or running it, these are the most needed plugins.
- Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
- Easy Table of Contents
- Yoast SEO
- Elementor
- Fonts Plugin | Google Fonts Typography
- MalCare WordPress Security Plugin
- Social Media and Share Icons
- Rank Math SEO
- Web Stories
- WP Rocket
70% of voice search results pull from ‘Featured Snippets’ and ‘People Also Ask’
According to Forbes, While Featured Snippets are highlighted text excerpts that appear at the top of a Google search results page, People Also Ask is a feature that shows users additional content and answers related to their search query. Featured Snippets and People Also Ask account for 70% of voice search results.
SEO Checklist for Beginners
| Step | Task | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keyword Research | Identify relevant keywords for your content using tools like Google Keyword Planner |
| 2 | On-Page Optimization | Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and content with target keywords |
| 3 | Create Quality Content | Develop informative, original content that addresses user needs and questions |
| 4 | Improve Site Structure | Organize your website with a clear hierarchy and easy navigation |
| 5 | Optimize for Mobile | Ensure your website is responsive and functions well on mobile devices |
| 6 | Improve Page Speed | Optimize images, minify code, and use browser caching to improve load times (use airlift plugin) |
| 7 | Build Quality Backlinks | Create valuable content that naturally attracts links from reputable websites |
| 8 | Use Internal Linking | Link related content within your site to improve navigation and page authority |
| 9 | Optimize Images | Use descriptive file names and alt text for images to improve accessibility and SEO (use trendy image format like webp/Avif) |
| 10 | Monitor SEO Performance | Use tools like GA4 and Search Console to track your SEO progress |
Must Use these SEO Tools
7 Best Seo Tools You Must Use:-
- Google Keyword planner
- Google Search Console
- GA4
- Yoast
- Ahrefs
- Hunter
- Monster Insight
- Grammarly
Conclusion
As I talked about the first step in SEO, but one thing you have to remember, it is not a one-time process, you need to do it regularly to achieve great results.
What you need to remember-
- Figure out who you’re trying to reach
- Take a good look at your website
- Find the right keywords
With these things, your audience will love your content and this also makes search engine happy.
You’re making your website better for real people too. And that’s what really matters.
Keep Learning and Stay Active!
